Widespread
easyNeutral toneWIDE-spred
adjective
Definition
Found or distributed over a large area or number of people
Memory hook
WIDE + SPREAD: picture butter spread wide across a huge piece of bread covering everything.
Examples
“The disease caused widespread panic across the country.”
“There was widespread support for the new policy.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“The disease caused ______ panic across the country.”
Show answer
widespread
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Widespread is a easy-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "pervasive" or "prevalent" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "rare".
Related GRE Words
pervasive
Spreading widely throughout an area or group of people
ubiquitous
Present, appearing, or found everywhere
endemic
Regularly found among particular people or in a certain area
fleeting
Lasting for a very short time; passing quickly
superficial
Existing or occurring at or on the surface; not thorough or deep
trite
Lacking originality or freshness; overused and no longer interesting
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